"N… Nymeria," Taranis whispered, his heart beating like a war drum with each step he took toward her.

A bright smile tugged at Nymeria's serene face as she moved toward him as well.

The duo stopped only when the distance between them was barely half a foot.

"Woah! You've become so tall, Taranis," Nymeria said, raising her head as she barely reached his chest, his height now towering over 6'3".

"Oh heavens, you look so serene, Nymeria," Taranis murmured, unable to tear his gaze away from her luminous face.

"W-what are you saying in front of everyone?" Nymeria murmured, averting her eyes in embarrassment.

"Look at him, he doesn't need his mother anymore," Aestra sulked, having long parted from Voltrex as she watched Taranis with a warm gaze.

Hearing his mother's voice, Taranis finally pulled himself free from Nymeria's charm and moved toward her.

"Mother, I missed you," Taranis said, embracing her in a tight hug.

"Oh, son~ you've grown as tall as your father," Aestra said, brushing his head. "And even more handsome than him."

"I disagree with the last part," Voltrex spoke up as he joined them, then continued, "Why didn't you tell us you were coming?"

"Because it was a surprise, Father Voltrex," Nymeria replied, turning toward him. "Oh right! May I call you father, if you don't mind?"

"Fa-father?" Voltrex stammered inwardly. Yet, he didn't dislike it in the slightest, rather, he loved hearing Nymeria call him that.

"Little angel, you must address me as father from now and forever."

After a brief pause, he continued, grabbing Taranis by the head, who had already parted from Aestra. "If this brat ever behaves rudely toward you, just say the word to your father Voltrex. I'll make sure to teach him a lesson."

"That won't be necessary, Father Voltrex," Nymeria replied, a playful smile tugging at her lips. "Mother has taught me how to handle rude men properly."

Voltrex burst into laughter. "Hahaha! If you were taught by Lunaria, who even tamed that Aurelion, then Taranis will think twice before misbehaving with you."

After talking for a few more minutes with Taranis, Aestra left with Voltrex. The Thunderbanes also immersed themselves in drinking and dancing again, leaving Nymeria and Taranis alone.

Now that it was just the two of them, an awkward silence settled in. Both Nymeria and Taranis felt their faces heat up, their gazes darting toward each other before quickly looking away.

"Sh-should we also prepare for the grand feast with the imperial family of the Azure Sun Empire?" Nymeria asked, breaking the silence.

"There's no need for that," Taranis replied before flicking his finger. "Oh right, there's a beautiful place here. Would you like to see it?"

Nymeria nodded, so Taranis moved his hand behind her waist, pulling her closer. The sudden action startled her, her cheeks flushing crimson.

"Taranis… everyone is watching," Nymeria hissed, trying to pull away.

"Stay steady," Taranis said, his voice low yet commanding, as his feet slowly lifted off the floor and moved toward the sky.

"Kyaa! We're flying!" Nymeria cried out, grabbing Taranis tightly by the neck, afraid of falling.

Taranis could have assured her that she would never fall while in his grasp, but he pushed that thought aside—Nymeria's touch felt far too tranquil to him.

With a smirk on his face, Taranis spoke seriously, "Hold on tightly, or you might fall."

Nymeria, who was only as strong as a cultivator at Awakened Sage Realm, had yet to gain the ability to fly—something a cultivator only unlocked upon reaching the True Sage Realm.

Nymeria and Taranis did not follow the same cultivation path as humans, as they were born with divinity. Yet strangely, neither of them knew their true realm. Normally, a cultivator received information about their realm directly into their mind from the heavens upon beginning their cultivation path. However, neither Nymeria nor Taranis had received such guidance.

They had experienced breakthroughs into higher realms, yet no information accompanied them, as if some kind of seal within them was preventing access to that knowledge.

Heeding Taranis' warning, Nymeria held him even tighter, her eyes squeezed shut as her chest pressed firmly against his. Taranis, clearly affected by the intimate contact, almost lost control, dropping a few feet before quickly regaining his balance.

"Taranis!!! If we fall, I'll kill you!" Nymeria snapped, her eyes still shut, her hands now tightly interlocked around his neck as her fear intensified.

"Sorry-sorry," Taranis chuckled, rising higher into the sky once again.

After a few minutes, he came to a halt and whispered, "We're here, Nymeria."

Nymeria slowly opened her eyes, loosening her grip around Taranis' neck as she turned to follow the direction of his fixed gaze.

Her feet rested atop Taranis' feet, while his arm held her firmly around the stomach from behind.

"Woahhh… so beautiful," Nymeria murmured.

Her gaze was locked onto the sun as it slowly emerged from the horizon, its golden rays washing over the land and gently consuming the lingering darkness.

Taranis brought his other hand to Nymeria's stomach as well, holding her tightly from behind while lowering his chin to rest near her shoulder.

"Not as beautiful as you, my wife," Taranis whispered into her ear.

"Ta-Taranis… you've become so bold during the time we were separated," Nymeria muttered softly, yet she made no attempt to pull away.

Instead, one of her hands instinctively clasped Taranis' hands around her stomach, while the other gently touched his cheek where it rested near her shoulder.

Without responding to her words, Taranis gently kissed her hand and slowly bent his knees.

Before Nymeria realized it, Taranis was sitting cross-legged in mid-air, with Nymeria seated in his lap.

"How many times did I cross your mind, Taranis?" Nymeria asked quietly.

"Only once," Taranis replied instantly. "And after that, you never left my mind again. The beautiful portrait of yours that you gave me in the locket was killing me every day, but it was also the very thing that kept me from dying, Nymeria."

Turning his gaze toward the white moon hanging in the sky, Taranis continued,

"If the moon ever calls you by name, don't be surprised, Nymeria. I whispered it to the night countless times, telling it not to grow arrogant over its beauty, for someone far more beautiful walks upon the land. I taught it how to pronounce your name. So if it ever calls you, Nymeria, simply show it your bright smile, and it will understand how true my words always were."

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